Spreading the message of family, faith

Greg Olson, golson@civitasmedia.com

Published
3:30 am CST, Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Meredosia-Chambersburg Junior-Senior High School students, faculty and staff hold a log chain that represents the “Links of Strength” that people share with each other. Meredosia-Chambersburg special education teacher Cary Knox (center in blue shirt) has written a series of Links of Strength expressions that he has shared with students and will soon be available at Kirlin’s Hallmark stores as wall art. less

Meredosia-Chambersburg Junior-Senior High School students, faculty and staff hold a log chain that represents the “Links of Strength” that people share with each other. Meredosia-Chambersburg special ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Cary Knox

Photo: Courtesy Of Cary Knox

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Meredosia-Chambersburg Junior-Senior High School students, faculty and staff hold a log chain that represents the “Links of Strength” that people share with each other. Meredosia-Chambersburg special education teacher Cary Knox (center in blue shirt) has written a series of Links of Strength expressions that he has shared with students and will soon be available at Kirlin’s Hallmark stores as wall art. less

Meredosia-Chambersburg Junior-Senior High School students, faculty and staff hold a log chain that represents the “Links of Strength” that people share with each other. Meredosia-Chambersburg special ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Cary Knox

Spreading the message of family, faith

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Cary Knox hopes his wall art expressions take people back to a time when he believes there was more emphasis on family, togetherness and faith.

Knox is excited that his message will soon reach a wider audience. Kirlin’s Hallmark — which has stores in Jacksonville, Springfield and elsewhere — has chosen four of Knox’s “Links of Strength” sayings that recognize a mother, a father and two that honor Jesus Christ.

“I developed the Links of Strength expression in 2008 as a way to recognize people in my life who provided infinite strength for me,” said Knox of rural Hillview. He is a special education teacher at Meredosia-Chambersburg Junior-Senior High School.

“Links of Strength is an expression used to describe the people, thoughts and Scriptures that bring us peace, love and encouragement,” Knox said. “A Link of Strength is perhaps that special person who teaches you toughness and discipline, the person who pushes you to get up and try again when life knocks you down, or someone who has shown you unconditional love and in return teaches you to love unconditionally. Throughout our life, friends, family and family values become our Links of Strength. Share your gratitude, let that special person know they are your Link of Strength.”

Knox’s Links of Strength in Life reads: “The willingness to work hard and earn your own way, the discipline to get up each day and pray, always knowing that God will have the final say.”

Knox said he first took his Links of Strength concept to basketball coach Brett Berry at North Greene High School, where the players chose their Links of Strength for about five years as a way to recognize those who gave them strength in life.

He also has introduced Links of Strength to Meredosia-Chambersburg students.

“We started a program this year called “Character Counts,” which involves six pillars of character which you want students to follow on a daily basis,” said Dan Carie, principal of Meredosia-Chambersburg Junior-Senior High School.

The six pillars are respect, trustworthiness, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

“Mr. Knox’s Links of Strength make the Character Counts program even stronger,” Carie said. “Character Counts and Links of Strength help the student become a better person and make good decisions.”

Knox’s 10 Links of Strength wall art pieces are featured in the current DEXSA gift catalog.

“It was a proud moment for me to have this artwork published and available in Kirlin’s Hallmark,” he said. Jacksonville Kirlin’s customers will be able to buy Links of Strength wall art in March, according to Knox.

In addition, Links of Strength wall art will be available on Amazon.com as well as in Mardel and LifeWay stores in several Southern states.

“The artwork for my Links of Strength expressions is being produced by artists,” Knox said. “I have 10 original Links of Strength, but I fully intend to produce more.”

In the original Links of Strength, Knox said he wanted to emphasize the Links of Strength in life, family, Jesus Christ and the individual.

“I’ve done that with the wall art, but I wanted to carry that concept forward to also emphasize those values in a children’s book,” he said.

Consequently, Knox has a 36-page children’s book titled “If It Were Up to Me … Links of Strength in Childhood” in production. The book’s cover includes Proverbs 22:6, which says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.”

“I chose that Proverbs verse because it summarizes the importance of sharing nature, hard work, love and Christ,” Knox said.

Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg.